Elon University - Phi Psi Cli Yearbook (Elon, NC)

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IS THIS A NEW CURE FOR. WRITER’S BLOCK? A stuffed dinosaur named “Boomerwang” perches atop Clarinda Lofton’s head, top left, as the honors student works on the novel she’s writing. MAYBE SHE CAN LEARN FASTER THIS WAY . . . Teaching fellow Meli Coulson, top right, adopts an unusual study position in the hallway of West’s second floor. TAKING A BREATHER . . . NCTF Karalee Little, above, relaxes after a tough day of classes and an intense rehearsal with the Construction Company. SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO CUT LOOSE . . . Honors student Meredith Hoffman, left, finds that a funny hat and silly nose help to ease the strain of academic challenges. Academics and the Arts 23

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CALL TO GLORY Honors and Teaching Fellows Shine For 239 Elon students, college offers an extra benefit. Students enrolled in the Honors Program find the title “honors student brings with it much respect and a tew special privileges, but also a variety of additional challenges. To qualify for the honors program, a student must have graduated in the top 20 percent of his or her high school class, must have scored 550 points on at least one portion of the SAT and must have a minimum 1000-point total on the test. Finally, potential honors students must have a predicted GPA of 3.0 or more as determined by the Admissions Office. Students already enrolled at the college could achieve honors status through a strong faculty referral or personal data. Lamar Bland, professor of English and director of the honors program, reports the 1988 freshman class honors fellows possessed the highest average SAT scores of all entering classes in the past tour years. As a result, the college had to “raise selectivity,” Dr. Bland says. During 1988-89, seven percent of the Elon student body was involved in the Honors Program. Once a student is accepted to the program, he or she must continue to meet certain expectations, including maintaining an overall GPA of 3.0 and a 3.0 in the honors courses. These courses are designed to provide interesting and challenging courseloads tor gifted disciplines. While some honors courses are special sections of a standard course, others are specially designed for honors students. One of the greatest benefits of being an honors student is the early registration feature. Honors fellows can preregister immediately following the seniors, thus gaining a virtually guaranteed seat in desired courses. But the program has its drawbacks as well. Honors students often had to juggle major, minor and general requirements in order to schedule an honors course each semester. Additionally, many fellows were seriously challenged by their honors courses, struggling to meet the high expectations of their professors. It was sometimes difficult to be a constant “over-achiever. Some honors fellows bore an additional distinction — and an extra burden. These 29 freshmen were Eton's first crop of North Carolina Teaching Fellows. Elon was one of two private colleges in the state to play a role in the Teaching Fellows program, and those involved were pleased with its progress. Teaching Fellows receive a scholarship in exchange for their agreement to teach for six years in the state school system. Some of the perks of being a NCTF included group housing, Winter Term travel seminars, and a future semester in London. Regardless of the demands put upon honors students and teaching fellows, these scholars accept — and meet — the challenges. In the long run, they realize the honors tag will he impressive on transcripts, resumes and diplomas. It also encourages the scholars to realize their full potential. SO WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE REAL WORLD? Jill D. Hall and Marlena Dare use the time before Dr. John Herold’s Honors English class to read the paper. Honors fellows often find that they have little time to consider things outside of academics. 22 Academics and the Arts

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LEARNING BY TEACHING Student Tutors Have Class Face it . . . there are times when even the best professor can’t help students. Whether due to conflicting schedules, time restrictions, or communication problems, students cannot always count on their professor. That’s when student tutors and assistants come in handy. Perhaps the most visible and diverse group of “student teachers is the tutors in the LRC. Supervised by Priscilla Haworth, these students are required to have both a high GPA in their field of study and faculty references. They also must complete a tutor workshop. After the workshop, these “helpers” are prepared to assist other students in one of about 30 subjects. For the students seeking assistance, the benefits are great — hut what’s in it for the tutors? In addition to a little pocket money, (tutors are paid by the college), the scholars report earning a strong sense of satisfaction. “It is very rewarding to see somebody be able to do something after you’ve helped them, says math tutor Brad Cokendolpher. A more specialized group of tutors are those who work in the new Writing Center. These students are enrolled in a special English class in which they are trained to coach other writers. Writing Center Director Barbara Gordon says writing tutors are trained to encourage troubled writers through a series of questions. In addition to attending the training class, each tutor works three hours per week in the Writing Center. In return, the tutor receives three hours of credit. Once writing tutors have completed the course, they have the opportunity to work in the center for payment by the college. But in addition to academic credit and monetary rewards, writing tutors also learn to improve their own writing, according to Melissa Allen, a junior. Once those papers are written, they probably need to be typed. Many students opt to use word processors, but find the terminals in the computer labs are confusing or threatening to novices. That’s when the computer assistants step in. These students, thoroughly trained in the field of computer sciences, also are available to help students enrolled in CIS classes. If an assignment calls for video communication, student assistants in the communications editing rooms are on hand to assist with an editing machine or help incorporate audio into a video presentation. And most students enrolled in a science class with a lab quickly learn the lab assistant can he their best friend. Science lab assistants are student who have completed the course and have been selected tor the positions. Their duties range from supervision of lab groups to setting up equipment — sometimes even grading papers and teaching portions of the lab. Whether they work in the LRC, the Writing Center, computer center, editing facilities, labs or elsewhere on campus, student teachers are an essential part of the learning process. They shoulder the responsibility of helping other students achieve a level of perfection — and they find the experience can he both academically and socially rewarding. SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT SPOT . . . Video lab assistant Rick Lashley, above, pinpoints the perfect edit. In addition to helping communications professors with various projects, Rick is available to assist students who are having trouble with their video work. MAKING GOOD USE OF A SPARE MOMENT . . . LCR tutor Stephanie Galvagna, right, a foreign languages major, works on her own homework while she waits for a student who needs help in French courses. 24 Academics and the Arts